Li Daoxuan wandered through the flower and bird market, quickly spotting a store selling fish tanks.

Tanks of all sizes were displayed, crafted quite beautifully.

Li Daoxuan ran his hand over one fish tank. Tsk, quite nice—several millimeters of thick glass, sturdy and secure.

To allow buyers a clear view of the fish inside, the glass, despite its thickness, was crystal clear and nearly invisible. If used for mall doors, a “Caution: Glass” warning sign would be necessary to prevent collisions.

Seeing Li Daoxuan seriously examining the glass, the shop owner immediately understood this wasn’t a casual browser; clear purchasing intent was there. He darted out, a smile fixed on his face. “Handsome guy, buying a fish tank? Perfect choice—my tanks are the highest quality in this market!”

Li Daoxuan smiled. “Indeed, I’m quite satisfied.”

The owner was delighted. “Which one would you like?”

Li Daoxuan: “I want… a fish tank without a bottom.”

Pfft! The owner nearly coughed up blood. “What did you say? Bottomless fish tank? That’s just four glass panes making a circle! How would it hold water? How could you keep fish without water? Making a fool of me? Impossible! No such thing! Can’t do business then.”

Li Daoxuan: “I’m serious. Need twenty! Rush order. Extra 10% commission.”

The owner instantly restored his businesslike smile. “Oh, easy! Melt the adhesive, pop off the bottom. Modified on the spot—guaranteed bottomless every time! Ha ha ha! A tank truly doesn’t need a bottom! You, sir, understand fishkeeping—only a pro like you knows how to raise them properly.”

Working on-site, the owner melted the adhesive beneath each tank’s base and removed it. Beautiful fish tanks transformed into mere glass hoops.

He must have been cursing this idiot internally, yet outwardly remained perfectly composed. Before long, twenty bottomless fish tanks—differing sizes—were delivered.

Big ones dozens of centimeters long, small ones ten centimeters round or rectangular shapes.

Li Daoxuan added a home-delivery fee.

The owner personally drove, becoming a transporter, hauling all twenty tanks upstairs. Before leaving, he shook Li Daoxuan’s hand and whispered conspiratorially: “Handsome guy, when your fish all die next week, and you need new fish and tanks… be sure to come back to me.”

Then he scampered off.

Li Daoxuan returned to his crate. First, he glanced at Gaojia Village: Xing Honglang was already with Gao Yiye at the watchtower. The two girls had shut the doors and windows, smearing “divine medicine” onto Xing Honglang’s wound.

Gao Chuwu was off somewhere wallowing in self-pity.

Meanwhile, other villagers traded goods with the salt smugglers.

Li Daoxuan tapped “Zhengjia Village” outside the crate. The view instantly jumped above Zhengjia Village.

Assessing the farmland layout beyond the village, he mentally divided it into sections. Selecting one perfectly sized bottomless fish tank, he carefully placed it over one plot. Pressing slightly downward caused the glass rim to sink beneath the soil—thwarting any attempted tunnel digs by bandits.

He repeated this, tank by tank.

In no time, six or seven fish tanks were deployed.

Every major and minor farmland patch of Zhengjia Village was now encased within massive bottomless fish tanks. Good. Li Daoxuan clapped his hands contentedly. Mission complete. No longer needing fear random bandit hordes from Heyang County ravaging the crops.

He tapped “Gaojia Village,” his view snapping back. Gao Yiye and Xing Honglang had finished treating the wound. Xing Honglang’s right arm was now wrapped tightly in white bandages—the size suggesting severe injury.

Yet not a trace of pain showed on her face; her bold spirit remained intact, explaining why no one had noticed earlier. Only Cheng Xu, observing her boxing form, caught a hint.

Gao Yiye: “Sister Xing, since you’re hurt, you shouldn’t travel. Stay until your arm heals before leaving.”

Xing Honglang nodded. Losing to Gao Chuwu proved her combat strength had drastically fallen. Charging off injured risked death at some foolish bandit’s hands. She discarded bravado. “Saint Lady’s kindness—I’ll impose upon Gaojia Village awhile longer.”

Gao Yiye smiled. “The Deity promised last time. If Sister Xing returned, we’d arrange a residence. See that northern slope…”

Gaojia Village’s north slope, once barren with dead, bark-stripped trees, had been cleared by labor offenders.

Days earlier, Li Daoxuan had extended a miniature shovel into the crate. A few scrapes formed an expansive, level plot on the north slope. There, he positioned a cluster of hard-plastic structures: the “Gaojia Business Circle.”

One grand mansion was designated for Xing Honglang and her salt smugglers. A marketplace area surrounded by buildings included a brothel, inn, restaurant, teahouse…

Problem: Li Daoxuan instantly remembered plastic houses couldn’t handle flames. Restaurants and teahouses were practically unfeasible; villagers would need stone constructions later. For now, the plastic facades were mere decorative illusions.

As for that brothel… cough, cough… forget that part!

Xing Honglang surveyed the hillside’s multicolored structures, muttering internally: This unseen Supreme Deity shows bold generosity, extravagant with gifts.

But his taste? Questionable. Why such gaudily bright houses? Flashy, clearly not at all legitimate.

Criticism aside, a free mansion? Not living there would be a fool’s choice.

She ushered her crew into the giant plastic mansion.

Opulent, high-class—pavilions, winding corridors, gardens with artificial hills, nothing missing.

Inside the Back Garden grew a gorgeous floral tree. Though Xing Honglang seemed rough, her womanly instincts enjoyed flowers. She reached to pluck a bloom, tugging the branch… yet it wouldn’t snap. The blossom remained stubbornly fixed.

What madness was this? The tree felt alien—neither gold, iron, nor wood—just baffling.

That evening, Gao Chuwu came. Stood submissively before the plastic mansion, not daring to knock. For half an hour, he spilled apologies at the plastic doors.

Believing himself unheard, he didn’t know salt smugglers remained ever-vigilant. Sentinels hid behind the plastic doors. Already alerted, Xing Honglang stood listening briefly. She snorted, “Boring.”

Then she headed off to sleep.